Wild Daffodil
The Wildlife Trusts manage many woodland nature reserves sympathetically for a range of spring flowers, from Wild Daffodils with their spring-heralding trumpets to fragrant Ramsons, showy Bluebells to delicate Wood Anemones. A mix of coppicing, scrub-cutting and ride maintenance open up the woodland floor to the sun, helping many flowers and plants to thrive. You can help too: volunteer for your local Wildlife Trust and you could be involved in everything from traditional forest crafts to raising awareness about woodland wildlife.
Herb-Paris
With its whorl of four egg-shaped leaves, Herb-Paris is known as the 'herb of equality' because all of its parts are considered equal and harmonious. This symmetry appealed to medieval herbalists and Herb-Paris was used both in marriage rituals and to guard against witches. It is a perennial plant of damp woodlands, mainly on chalky soils, and its crown of understated, green flowers can be found blooming among Bluebells and Primroses in May and June.
The Wildlife Trusts manage many woodland nature reserves sympathetically for a range of spring flowers, from modest Herb-Paris to fragrant Ramsons, showy Bluebells to delicate Wood Anemones. A mix of coppicing, scrub-cutting and ride maintenance open up the woodland floor to the sun, helping many flowers and plants to thrive. You can help too: volunteer for your local Wildlife Trust and you could be involved in everything from traditional forest crafts to raising awareness about woodland wildlife.
Snowdrop
For many of us, the first sign of spring and the promise of milder weather just around the corner is the first clump of brave Snowdrops we spy poking their way through the soil of a woodland, churchyard or town garden. Yet despite its long history in the UK, the Snowdrop may not actually be native here; it is a native of damp woods and meadows on the continent, but was not recorded as growing wild here until the late 18th century. Nevertheless, it has certainly become naturalised from garden escapees, and white Snowdrop 'valleys' can now be seen across the country.
The Wildlife Trusts manage many woodland nature reserves sympathetically for a range of spring flowers, from early Snowdrops to fragrant Ramsons, showy Bluebells to delicate Wood Anemones. A mix of coppicing, scrub-cutting and ride maintenance open up the woodland floor to the sun, helping many flowers and plants to thrive. You can help too: volunteer for your local Wildlife Trust and you could be involved in everything from traditional forest crafts to raising awareness about woodland wildlife.
Ramsons
Ramsons spend most of the year as bulbs underground in ancient, damp woodlands, only emerging to flower and leaf from April onwards. This early spring flowering allows them to make the most of the sunlight that is still able to make it to their forest floor habitat and attracts the attention of plenty of pollinating insects including hoverflies, butterflies and longhorn beetles. Millions of bulbs may exist in one wood, causing the white, starry carpets and strong garlic smell we so keenly associate with this flower.
The Wildlife Trusts manage many woodland nature reserves sympathetically for a range of spring flowers, from garlic-smelling Ramsons to showy Bluebells, delicate Wood Anemones to pretty Primroses. A mix of coppicing, scrub-cutting and ride maintenance open up the woodland floor to the sun, helping many flowers and plants to thrive. You can help too: volunteer for your local Wildlife Trust and you could be involved in everything from traditional forest crafts to raising awareness about woodland wildlife.
Bluebell
Bluebells spend most of the year as bulbs underground in ancient woodlands, only emerging to flower and leaf from April onwards. This early spring flowering allows them to make the most of the sunlight that is still able to make it to their forest floor habitat and attracts the attention of plenty of pollinating insects. Millions of bulbs may exist in one bluebell wood, causing the blue carpets we so keenly associate with spring, and new plants are sometimes able to split off from these bulbs and grow as clones.
The Wildlife Trusts manage many woodland nature reserves sympathetically for a range of spring flowers, from showy Bluebells to delicate Wood Anemones, fragrant Lily-of-the-valley to pretty Primroses. A mix of coppicing, scrub-cutting and ride maintenance open up the woodland floor to the sun, helping many flowers and plants to thrive. You can help too: volunteer for your local Wildlife Trust and you could be involved in everything from traditional forest crafts to raising awareness about woodland wildlife.
Snake's-head Fritillary
It was not so long ago that the spring markets of Covent Garden were overflowing with the nodding, pink- and white-chequered blooms of Snake's-head Fritillaries. Handfuls picked from meadows beside the River Thames were taken to London by local children to be sold for a pretty penny or two. But today, the carpets of Snake's-head Fritillaries that once straddled our rivers and adorned our wet meadows have become a rare sight.
Once awash with wildflowers and alive with insects, our wet meadows have been drained, damaged and destroyed as a result of agricultural intensification; more than 95% of our wildflower meadows have been lost in recent years. Without care, those meadows that are left can quickly become overgrown, shading out delicate wildflowers such as Snake's-head Fritillaries. The Wildlife Trusts look after many meadow habitats using traditional methods, such as hay-cutting, reseeding and grazing, for the benefit of local wildlife. We are also working closely with farmers and landowners to promote wildlife-friendly practices in these areas. By volunteering for your local Wildlife Trust, you can help too.
Lily-of-the-valley
Lily-of-the-valley is a pretty woodland plant with arching stems carrying nodding white bells. Famous for its beautiful scent, it can be found in woodlands on both limestone and more acidic soils. Yet its breathtaking fragrance and delicate flowers belie a much more poisonous nature - all parts of this plant are deadly, including the red berries that appear after the flowers.
The Wildlife Trusts manage many woodland nature reserves sympathetically for a range of spring flowers, from fragrant Lily-of-the-valley to pretty Primroses, showy Bluebells to delicate Wood Anemones. A mix of coppicing, scrub-cutting and ride maintenance open up the woodland floor to the sun, helping many flowers and plants to thrive. You can help too: volunteer for your local Wildlife Trust and you could be involved in everything from traditional forest crafts to raising awareness about woodland wildlife.
Bog Asphodel
The sulphur yellow, star-like flowers of Bog Asphodel brighten up our browny-green peat bogs, damp heaths and moors in early summer. Borne on spikes, the flowers appear from June to August; as they fruit in autumn, the plants turn deep orange, continuing to colour the bogs. Bog Asphodel produces creeping rhizomes (underground stems) from which it can reproduce; however, it also produces seeds and its flowers attract a range of pollinating insects.
Windswept heaths and boggy moors are an iconic feature of the UK's landscape and are the result of hundreds of years of low-impact human activities such as livestock-grazing and scrub clearance. Yet drainage, development and the decline of traditional farming methods have caused many of these precious habitats to be lost, and the species associated with them, such as Bog Asphodel, are now declining. The Wildlife Trusts manage many heathland habitats for the benefit of all kinds of wildlife. By volunteering for your local Trust you can help too, and you'll make new friends and learn new skills along the way.
Water-soldier
The free-floating Water-soldier rare native aquatic plant which is also grown in garden ponds and often escapes. It can be found mostly in central and eastern England. It grows beneath the water, staying submerged for most of the year. From June to August it surfaces and flowers, displaying white blooms. Like other aquatic plants, it offers resting and sheltering places for aquatic insects like dragonfly and damselfly larvae.
Human activity, including the drainage of land for agriculture and development, has resulted in the disappearance of many of the UK's wetlands. The Wildlife Trusts are working closely with planners, developers and farmers to ensure our wetlands are protected. You can help too: add native plants and flowers, such as Water-soldier, to a wildlife-friendly pond and its margins, and provide shelter for amphibians and nectar for insects. In partnership with the RHS, The Wildlife Trusts' Wild About Gardens initiative can help you plan your wildlife garden.
Arrowhead
Arrowhead is a tall, aquatic plant that is often found in shallow water or along the margins of slow-moving watercourses. It is in bloom from June to September, displaying small, white flowers, but it is the arrow-shaped leaves which are most distinctive. Like other aquatic plants, it offers resting and sheltering places for aquatic insects like dragonflies and damselflies.
Human activity, including the drainage of land for agriculture and development, has resulted in the disappearance of many of the UK's wetlands. The Wildlife Trusts are working closely with planners, developers and farmers to ensure our wetlands are protected. You can help too: add native plants and flowers, such as Arrowhead, to a wildlife-friendly pond and its margins, and provide shelter for amphibians and nectar for insects. In partnership with the RHS, The Wildlife Trusts' Wild About Gardens initiative can help you plan your wildlife garden.
